Newport News author battles bullying in "Lulu the Cocker Spaniel"

Newport News native releases Lulu the Cocker Spaniel

As a young girl growing up in Newport News, Kristin Stiff wrote what she describes as "whimsical tales" and dreamed of one day publishing her stories. After honing her skills at the University of Virginia, where she earned a degree in English Literature, Stiff got to work on her dreams and is now the author of children's story, "Lulu the Cocker Spaniel."

Published by Rocket Science Productions in 2012, the 48-page book is filled with charming illustrations by Meredith Hancock. You can see them in a trailer here (scroll down a bit), and a cool interactive preview here.

From the publisher:

Hurry, there is no time to spare! The bees are buzzing off the pages and Lulu is in great need of your help! Lulu’s toy chest has come to life and toys are popping up everywhere! Lulu, the Cocker Spaniel, is about a dog that seemingly follows the same routine every day, but one mysterious morning her routine gets thrown off. When she puts on her magical costume and opens her toy chest, baby bumble bees escape. In the end, Lulu’s perfect morning turns haywire but she solves the problem and gets to school on time. While in school, Lulu’s teacher draws attention to the negative effects of bullying.

As you might imagine, Stiff is no stranger to dogs. Aside from her own Prince, a Cane Corso, Stiff frequently visits her parents' Cocker Spaniel "Lacy," Stiff's inspiration for Lulu. She writes on her website: "Kristin and Lulu (Lacy) spend many wonderful hours together, sunbathing at the beach, curling their hair and eating their favorite treats." Lulu sounds like one fun dog, doesn't she?

If you'd like to meet the author, maybe share canine stories or experiences with bullying, and get a signed copy of her book, you have a couple opportunities in the next few weeks: